A/N:

Disclaimer:
NTS:
It had taken all of two seconds for her to decide she loved his hair.
A lot.
And sure, maybe shed grown up hearing about the great Captain America, and yeah, his eyes were
almost unnaturally blue and he was very clearly built and also in that split second shed decided that
Captain America was a very very attractive man; but in the few seconds following her introduction to the
man her father had practically worshiped, she decided that she definitely liked his hair much more than
everything else.
It had taken her a few seconds more to realize that her hand was already twitching to reach up to his
height of freaking huge to run her fingers through his hair and another split second for her to remember
that that probably wasnt all that appropriate given that shed known the man for all of ten seconds.
But Tony freaking Stark (how cool was her life?) was going on about how hed built the top several floors
of the tower, Avengers tower not Stark tower mind you (though they were really actually the same
thing),to house the Avengers and, apparently, their friends, so no one even noticed the momentary deer
in headlights look shed given the blonde haired man in front of her. It was a split second decision made
in that moment, just before Tony had continued his little tour when Captain America aka Steve looked
down at her and said, Welcome to the Tower maam, that she would definitely have to avoid the man
at all costs.
It wasnt that she didnt like him, or think that he wouldnt be a nice guy to get to know, but it was the
quite sadness in his eyes, the smile that didnt quite seem real, the way his shoulders were too straight
and his stance was too uptight that just screamed her going all fangirl on the man would not go over
well. And she would, go all fangirly on him that is; if she ever spent any sort of time with him it was
almost inevitable. Shed been raised by a father who would have worshiped him if given a chance after
all and she herself had been well and truly wrapped up in the Captain America comic books and movies
growing up. But no matter how big a fan she was, she could tell that it all made the Captain
uncomfortable, and as much as she enjoyed making people squirm, she never deliberately pushed them
into truly uncomfortable situations if she could help itunless she knew them and their limits really
well, then all bets were off.
Tony had continued the tour of the Tower, ending the tour by showing Jane and Darcy to the floor just
beneath Thors that would be acting as their living quarters. Thor had wandered the spacious
apartment with Jane, hands clasped tightly together and murmuring back and forth about this and that,
leaving Darcy standing awkwardly next to Tony. Shed bounced on her toes a few times before blurting
out a So that trailed off as her eyes flitted around the apartment, Nice digs; thanks.
Tony nodded and shrugged, Twenty bucks says you get it all to yourself before the end of the month.
Darcy blinked once, twice, then laughed, I give it a week, she replied, Just give me a few days after
that before you kick me out alright? she picked some random statue she couldnt figure out and turned
it over in her hands.
Tell you what, Tony stated a few seconds later, You tell me what you think that is supposed to be and
you can stay here, free of charge for as long as youd like.
This caught Darcys attention, What? she pushed her glasses up a little, Really? when Tony just
stared expectantly at her, his hands shoved patiently in his pockets, she frowned, narrowed her eyes
and turned her head a little, Is this a trick question?
Nope, Tony shook his head, I just want your honest opinion about what exactly you think that, he
gestured to the statue in her hands, I supposed to be.
Darcy turned the statue over in her hands a few times before looking up at Tony again, Did you make
it? she asked, still suspicious.
Tony scoffed, Trust me, if Id made that, youd know what it was without a doubt.
Im sure I wouldDarcy trailed off as she studied the statue a moment longer, It kind of looks like a
squirrel mid cha cha or something, she finally answered, absently copying the movement she saw in
her head, returning to reality when she heard a startled laugh escape the man next to her. Turning to
look at Tony, Darcy was surprised to see the contemplative amusement on his face, What? she asked,
twisting the sleeve of one arm of her shirt down and over her hand, a nervous twitch shed had for
years.
I think Im going to like you, he answered, still looking at her as if he were seeing something Darcy was
pretty sure wasnt there.
Darcy bit her cheek for a second, And thats a good thing? she finally let the words escape her mouth,
deciding the worse that could happen would shed be out a place to live. Homeless people didnt seem
all that bad.
Tony smiled, I guess well find out.
Well, Darcy shrugged, Just as fair warning, I carry Mr. Taser everywhere with me, she patted the
satchel she had slung over her shoulder, And he was strong enough to knock out the god over there,
she gestured to where Thor was standing with her thumb, and I shudder to think of what it would do to
that fancy doohickey in your chest, without conscious thought her hand reached up and jabbed at the
glowing circle in the middle of Tonys chest.
Acting as if hed actually been wounded Tony staggered back, This babys pretty sophisticated stuff, Im
pretty sure a little tasing wont hurt it, but just in case, Ill make sure not to get on your bad side.
Darcy studied the man before her with fake suspicion, already she was pretty sure he was about to
become her new buddy, See that you do, she nodded her head importantly before her smirk grew into
an actual grin, So what is there to do around this place?
And just like that a friendship that would quickly become the bane of the existence of everyone who
mattered in the Tower with the exception of maybe Pepper, was born. As it turned out Darcy was right
about Thor and Jane not even lasting a week before Jane was spending more time with Thor in his living
quarters than with Darcy in her own. It was somewhere around the two week mark when Darcy woke to
find a note stuck to the door letting her know Jane had officially moved in with Thor, leaving Darcy the
entire apartment to herself.
Having an area all to herself was somewhat of a novelty to Darcy as shed never really had any special
area to call just hers before. Shed grown up with three older brothers and an older sister shed been
forced to share a room with; and when shed moved out to go to college shed shared a room with three
other not necessarily sane roommates and then shed moved into a trailer with Jane. There had been a
brief stint in London when shed had a room all to herself, but then shed gone out to find herself an
intern of her own, and shed found herself bunking once more with Jane.
Then Thor came back after the whole creepy elf thing and since he was moving into Stark ahem
Avengers Tower with the rest of the Avengers, and since Jane had been requested by S.H.I.E.L.D to come
and work for them at one of their facilities (one of which happened to be a few blocks away disguised as
a bankcan anyone say predictable?)Darcy found herself once again uprooting herself to move back to
America, playing the trusty sidekick to Jane as always.
Dont get her wrong, she loved Jane, she did. Really. But sometimes she wasnt sure how long she could
remain Janes so called intern before she lost track of everything shed wanted to do. Which admittedly
wasnt that much, but still. She was pretty sure Jane still thought Darcy was interning for credit, despite
the fact that shed managed to graduate with a Masters of Political Science a few weeks after Thors first
visit to earth. And that didnt bother her, not really, it was something that made JaneJane, but it was a
little degrading to have graduated with a master degree and still be stuck making coffee runs, perfecting
her pop-tart making technique, and transcribing Janes scattered and often indecipherable notes into
something that makes sense for the genius to come and look at later.
The sudden move from their shared apartment to Thors with only a note to show the move had actually
happened was just like Jane though. So much so that Darcy had only been able to laugh and shake her
head as she found herself in possession of an apartment that there was no way in Hades she would ever
be able to afford, even if she had a real job. Shed gotten ready for the day and gone off to find Jane. It
had only taken a few minutes to realize that Jane wasnt in the lab she typically used in the Tower, and a
little more wandering found Darcy standing in front of a glass wall with another note for her stuck to it.
The note had apologized for not saying so sooner, but it turned out Jane was going to be working in the
S.H.I.E.L.D labs for the next few days, so Darcy could take the day off and theyd go in tomorrow, unless
Darcy wanted to take the next few days off. Which was probably code for Darcy was going to have to
fight her way into S.H.I.E.L.D headquarters the next day to drag Jane out for food, water, and sunlight.
So Darcy had rolled her eyes and turned to go and figure out what to do with the rest of her day when
shed looked in the lab and found Tony and a dark haired man she hadnt met yet working on
something, both looking as if theyd worked through the night.
Shed left them there and made her way to the kitchen area on the floor shed heard called the
communal area, were everyone hung out when they were in the mood for company. Intending to make
breakfast for the two geniuses still in the building, she made a beeline for the kitchen area shed been
wanting to try out ever since shed been in it during the tour. It wasnt until shed nearly ran into him
that she noticed Captain America was sitting at the breakfast bar, bent over a book.
She deliberated a moment whether to continue on her mission to break in the kitchen she suspected
had never been used to its full potential, or return to her room and put off meeting the Captain for the
first time since shed been introduced to him for a little while longer. Her growling stomach made the
choice for her when it made a loud grumbling sound, demanding sustenance. Deciding to just be as
polite as possible, and avoid going all fangirlish on the poor man, Darcy squared her shoulders and
stepped into the kitchen, Have you eaten yet Captain? she asked.
Startled, the captains head shot up from looking down at the book on the table in front of him to look
at her, Uh he stammered, No, not yet, missLewis? his eyebrows furrowed as he tried to
remember her name.
Darcy shrugged with a small smile, Call me Darcy, she insisted, before moving to pull open every
cabinet and drawer as she searched for the items she would need to make some sort of breakfast.
Alright then Darcy, call me Steve please, there was something in the tone of his voice that had Darcy
stopping in her search to turn to look at him, locking her eyes with his. She noticed the same masked
sadness that shed noticed the first time shed met him, but then she remembered why looking at him
was probably a bad idea so she quickly averted her eyes.
You like pancakes Steve? Darcy asked, clearing her throat and pulling out a large mixing bowl before
discovering a large griddle and pulling it out of hiding and plugging it in to get it heating up.
Steve blinked out of whatever thoughts hed been having and nodded, Yes maam, though I havent
had any in quite some time.
Darcy smiled a small smile, briefly looking in his direction, Well today is your lucky day then, she told
him as she began to pour ingredients into the bowl, My mom makes the best homemade pancakes
known to manand probably gods too, she added as an after thought, And it just so happens that she
taught me her secret recipe, she measured and poured, aware of Steve watching her every move
closely. Finally looking up at him she tilted her head a little, You mind putting those muscles of yours to
good use? she asked with a small smirk, This needs to be stirred for a bit, but I want to whip up some
eggs and some of the bacon I saw in the fridge, you mind? she held the bowl out to him.
Slowly Steve reached out and accepted the bowl, I cant promise that I wont ruin them, he warned
her, sounding absolutely serious.
Darcy gave a small laugh, Dont worry about it, she stated, dropping pieces of bacon on the now hot
griddle, Just move your arm in a circular motion, if you mess that up, I think I might actually have to
make you some sort of medal, she watched him gingerly start to stir the ingredients together for a
moment before returning her attention to the food cooking before her, So, she asked a few minutes
later, What are the odds Im going to end up feeding more than just you and the two geniuses
downstairs?
I dont know, Steve looked up at her back, I know Clint and Natasha both came home from a recent
mission a few days ago, and every now and then they all make an appearance for coffee, but other than
that I dont really know when or where everyone else eats.
Darcy flipped some bacon over before reaching for the oven to warm it up so the food she cooked
would stay warm, And you? Where do you get your food from?
Steve stirred the mix in the bowl a few more times before setting the wisk down, Normally I just go
snag a bite from the cafeteria at S.H.I.E.L.D headquarters whenever Im really hungry.
Is their food any good? she questioned, grabbing an empty plate and dropping the bacon on it before
starting in on a bunch of scrambled eggs.
A quick glance at Steve caught a slight shrug that had Darcy smothering a smile, that was code for no,
even if the words that came of out his mouth said it was, Pretty good considering.
Tony! a loud female voice exclaimed, You cant just keep working through theyesyes.no! Tony!
there was a pause as the owner of the voice rounded the corner and paused at seeing Darcy standing in
the kitchen making actual food, What do you mean theres no signal?! I dont thinkDont you dare
the words were cut off as the redheaded woman pulled the phone away from her ear to stare at it with
a narrowed glare, Fine, she growled to herself, Work yourself into an early grave, see if I care.
Darcy paused a moment as she watched the older woman draw closer before speaking, Breakfast? she
asked, lifting her spatula before turning to shove the eggs around a bit more, Keep stirring there
Steve, she instructed.
Steve and the woman shared a look that Darcy didnt see before the woman spoke, Youre Thor and
Janes
Intern extraordinaire? Darcy interrupted, Yep, thats me, Darcy Lewis at your service, she declared,
turning from shoveling the eggs into a warmed up bowl, to hold her hand out to the woman to shake.
Pepper Potts, Pepper greeted, And I was going to say Thor and Janes friend, not intern, she
corrected with a smile.
Eh, Darcy shrugged, Same thing, she smiled and reached for the bowl Steve was holding, Want a
pancake or two? she asked, You look like a peach pancake lover for sure, she thought out loud.
Pepper looked curiously at Steve once more before moving to sit in the bar chair next to him, Ive never
tried it before to be honest.
Darcy raised an eyebrow at her, For real? she inquired, Well today is your lucky day, she smirked
and turned to Steve, How about you Steve, whats your pancake flavor? she eyed him for a moment,
trying to keep her mind on what kind of pancake he would like instead of how that shirt, though it
looked like something her grandpa would wear, was definitely a good color on him, Buttermilk,
straight, she decided a moment later, ignoring Steves helpless shrug, Alright, she turned and got to
work, pouring pancake mix on the griddle and adding peaches to Peppers pancakes.
Having trouble with Tony again? Steve asked conversationally as Darcy worked.
A loud sigh was all the answer Darcy needed to hear, but the words that followed elaborated, He works
too much, Pepper stated, He was up all last night working on this thing, I dont think he ate anything
all day yesterday, and I think hes dragging poor Bruce down with him.
Darcy turned from the pancakes to look at them, Is Bruce the other guy in the lab with him now? she
questioned, He was sleeping with his head on the table when I was down there a few minutes ago.
Thats actually why Im making breakfast, I mean, besides the fact that I wanted to break in this lovely
kitchen, she stroked the counter beside her lovingly, I recognize them as being in stage four of the I-
havent-eaten-or-slept-in-longer-than-is-probably-humanly-possible-or-good-for-me ____ Darcy rolled
her eyes at the surprised look Pepper was giving her, Jane does this all the time, she waved her hand
toward the doors, Normally I am able to catch her by stage two, but every now and then she gets to
defcon four, and never ever ever is she allowed to reach defcon fiveever. Trust me, it was not pretty.
Unaware of the contemplative look Pepper was giving her Darcy turned to flip the pancakes over and
stir the peach and maple syrups shed whipped up while theyd been talking, Well Ill tell you, if you can
get Tony out of that lab, even if its just long enough to eat, I will be in your debt.
Darcy smirked, Challenge accepted, she stated, flipping the pancakes once more before placing them
on two plates, pulling the eggs and the bacon out of the oven long enough to adorn the plates with a bit
of each before returning them to the oven. Turning she placed the two plates in front of the two people
sitting at the breakfast bar, adding some silverware and cups a few seconds later along with the syrups
placed in separate containers in front of them, Bon apatite! she kissed her fingers and watched them
dig in to their food before grabbing a piece of bacon to snack on while she turned on the coffee maker
and set a kettle of water on a burner on the stove top.
Oh wow, Pepper exclaimed a few bites in, Darcy this is amazing! she declared, Where did you learn
how to cook like this?
Turning as she munched on a second piece of bacon Darcy shrugged, My mom is a spectacular cook,
she said as if that explained everything, I must have picked a few things up, she bit her lip before
asking, So is Bruce the Hulk? she asked, seemingly out of nowhere.
Both Pepper and Steve stilled their movements to look at her in surprise, Um, Pepper hesitated, Yes,
she wiped her lips with a napkin as she nodded, Why do you ask.
Darcy lifted a shoulder, I just was making sure that I was right before I go make an idiot of myself by
offering him tea instead of coffee.
This time it was Steve who spoke, Why do you assume he would prefer tea to coffee?
Well, from what Ive read and been told by Fury about the Hulk he seems to come out in situations
where Dr. Banner is overly stressed or angry, and according to the files Fury gave me to make me go
away, Darcy smirked a little to herself as she remembered the irritation on the Directors face as he
finally just threw the files at her to get her stop asking questions, Dr. Banner generally does whatever
he can to avoid stress and stressful situations. Coffee has a lot of caffeine and things that make people
go go go, and since I saw the tea sitting at the front of that cupboard, she pointed, I figured his drink
of choice would be tea, not coffee. Why, she asked, Was I wrong?
Pepper shook her head, No, youre exactly right. But I think you are probably one of the first people Ive
met who actually get that. Tony sure doesnt understand the meaning of stress-less situations.
The tea kettle started whistling and Darcy turned to pour it into the waiting cup. She took a guess as to
what the doctor shed never met would like in his tea, using her two years as a waitress in her teenage
years to make and educated guess then turned and poured the coffee for Tony, Does Tony like
anything but a whole bunch of cream in his coffee? Darcy asked, as she poured the cream in then
added just a little of cinnamon to the cup.
No, Pepper answered, swallowing her bite of food, just a whole bunch of cream like you said.
Darcy picked both cups up and turned to smile at Pepper and Steve, Wish me luck, she declared with a
smirk, before moving towards the elevator that would take her to the appropriate floor.
A few moments later Darcy stepped out of the elevator and walked down the hall to the appropriate lab
(the one Jane had apparently mistakenly thought was hers this morning) and entered the room, Alright
boys, she declared, startling Dr. Banner enough that he jerked awake and to his feet in surprise, If you
want this, she waved the warm drinks in their direction, You have to take it and go upstairs where
breakfast is waiting for the cup of tea was abruptly snatched from her hand, you Darcy watched
as Dr. Banner gulped down some of the drink before blearily making his way towards the door that
would let him out of the lab muttering something about food.
Nice try, Tonys voice brought her back to him, But its going to take a bit more than an awesomely
warm cup of coffee to get me to leave right in the middle of
JARVIS, Darcy called, taking a step closer to the area Tony was currently working on, Remember
those updates you were telling me you have been trying to install for the last few weeks? she met
Tonys eyes and smirked, tilting her head challengingly, Why dont you take this opportunity to run
them?
Tony frowned at her, Cancel that JARVIS, he stated, delay the updates a little longer.
Sir, the automated voice of JARVIS spoke up, Miss Darcy has a point. I cannot in good conscience
allow my systems to go without these updates any longer.
Now Tonys eyes narrowed at her, even as the corner of his lips twitched upwards, You can last a little
longer, he declared.
Darcy shook her head, But JARVIS, she argued, The longer you go without the updates, the more
security risks will arise correct?
Yes, that is correct Miss Darcy.
And in your programing you are coded to prevent any and all preventable security risks to Mr. Stark,
right? she smiled sweetly at Tony, as she watched his arm fall from where it had been flicking through
something to rest by his side in defeat.
That is also correct Miss Darcy. Im sorry sir, but Im going to have to install the updates now, the
hollow-screens flickered once before fading and disappearing all together.
Darcy turned to look at Tony with a knowing look, Well, it seems your schedule just emptied up, she
stated, Want the coffee and food now? she held the cup out to him, JARVIS told me the updates
would take about seven hours, so youve got time.
Tony took a step closer to her, then another, Well played Miss Darcy, he snatched the cup from her
hand and took a sip, Turning my own AI system against me, he studied her intently, Well played.
Darcy smiled sweetly and shrugged as she twisted and grabbed Tonys arm to propel him towards the
door and smiling to herself when the door made an audible click when it shut behind them, Its a gift,
she told him with a bat of her eyes as she waited for the elevator to return to take them upstairs.
Moments later Darcy stepped out of the elevator and couldnt help the small laugh that came when she
noticed the absolutely stunned expressions on not only Peppers face but Dr. Banners as well, Youll
never guess what just happened, she started, It turns out JARVIS just absolutely had to install a few
updates, so you lucky boys you, she pointed from Dr. Banner to Tony, over estimating the distance
between her finger and Tony and accidentally jabbing him in the chest, just got the rest of the day off!
she grinned widely up at Tony who just shook his head at her, What an odd coincidence.
Very odd, Dr. Banners dry tone had Darcy smiling at him, Im sorry, have we met?
Darcy widened her eyes innocently, Nope, Im Darcy Lewis, Jane Fosters intern and best friend, she
held out her hand for the older man to shake.
Slowly, after eyeing Darcys hand as if it might bite for a moment, Dr. Banner held out his own hand to
take hers, Bruce, he introduced himself, Bruce Banner.
You know the Hulk saved my life once? Darcy asked conversationally as she moved passed the man to
add a few pancakes to the griddle, throwing some blueberries in Bruces and sprinkling some cake
sprinkles on Tonys, Yep, she turned around to see all four occupants of the common floor staring at
her with various looks of confusion and surprise, I was one of those random people running around
during the Battle of New York, Darcy didnt miss Tonys flinch when she mentioned the battle but
ignored it for now, and just as I was trying to get to somewhere underground some of those chickentori
thingamagigs jumped in front of me. I got out my friend Mr. Taser and managed to take out one of them
by tasing it in the face but then the Hulk showed up and totally annihilated the others. It was awesome,
she trailed off she flashed back to that moment before turning to flip the pancakes over.
Chickentori? Steves voice sounded strangled and Darcy turned to looked at him to find him staring at
her with an odd look on his face.
Darcy frowned, I dont remember the exact name of the weird creepers, but I do know there was a ch
and an ory sound somewhere in there.
Chitauri, Tony supplied, his voice also sounded a little off, but before Darcy could ponder it Bruce
caught her attention.
The other guy didnthe didnt scare you? Bruces eyes were squinted and his eyebrows were
furrowed as he spoke as if he couldnt believe it.
Darcy snorted, You bet your grandpas rickety old walker he scared me, but then he saved me and I got
over it. I mean he is huge, she turned to flip the pancakes over so she didnt see the looks shared by
those behind her, and green, and his breath doesnt smell that great, but seriously, the poor guy just
needs a break, she served the pancakes on two plates and added the bacon and eggs before turning to
place it on the breakfast bar for Tony and Bruce. She paused as she snagged up Steves plate to serve
him some more pancakes when she noticed the looks, What?
Needs a break? Tony repeated, a grin fighting its way to his lips as he sat down next to Pepper, Poor
guy?
A small shrug and a roll of her eyes was Darcys answer to his non-questions, Well yeah, the dude only
gets to come out when Bruce here is in the middle of some bad situation, that would piss me off a little
too. Add that to the fact that every time he comes out the only side of our world he gets to experience is
the bad one, and the poor guy could just be scared and acting out accordingly. I mean, Im not exactly a
picnic when Im scared, let me tell you, she handed Steve back his plate, loaded once again with
pancakes and nodded at his quiet muttered thanks, Its not that big of a reach is it? her eyes scanned
the various occupants of the breakfast bar and skipped over to where Bruce stood as if he wasnt sure
what to make of her.
There could possibly be something very wrong with you, Bruce stated all of a sudden, then froze as his
words seemed to sink in.
A startled laugh left Darcys lips and she grinned, Dude, you have no idea, she chuckled, clearly not
upset by his words like he thought she would be, Now sit, your food is getting cold, she gestured to
the plate shed set out for him before turning back to the griddle, JARVIS, can you tell me where Clint
andand she turned to look at Pepper, Whats the Black Widows name again? she hissed.
Agents Barton and Romanov are on their way to this floor for a cup of coffee, JARVIS answered her
question before she finished asking it.
Darcy blinked and narrowed her eyes at the ceiling, Thanks JARVIS, she spoke before pouring a few
more pancakes, adding cinnamon swirls to some and only hesitating a moment before throwing
chocolate chips into the others. After a moment of studying everyone else plates, she noticed Steve was
winding down on his pancakes again and added a few more for him. While she waited for those to cook
she opened and shut the cupboards once more, smirking when she found what she was looking for, Ah
ha! she exclaimed, snatching the toothpicks from the cupboard and looking around for some tape and
a small piece of paper.
A few moments later the elevator dinged and three agents stepped out instead of the two Darcy had
been expecting, Why Mr. Agent Thugman! Darcy declared, after flipping the pancakes, Its nice to see
you up and about sir, she smiled at Agent Coulson with a mock salute, truly glad to see him walking
around; shed been just as worried as everyone else when shed heard the news about Coulson being in
the infirmary, though as shed understood it everyone else had mistakenly thought he was dead.
Its nice to be up and about Miss Lewis, Coulson smiled, I see were just in time for breakfast, he
looked over at Clint who was eyeing the plate Darcy was serving up with barely disguised glee.
Darcy set the plate with cinnamon pancakes on the breakfast bar, but stopped before sliding it over to
where Clint was now sitting. Pulling out a fork of her own she cut off a small piece of the pancake and
stuck it in her mouth. As she chewed and swallowed she reached for the little sign shed made and stuck
it directly into the middle of the stack of pancakes, Certified poison free by Darcy Lewis, it read and she
smirked as she slid the plate over to Clint who grinned at her.
You remembered, he stated, eagerly picking up his own fork and digging into his pancakes.
Darcy rolled her eyes, You made it kind of hard to forget Barton, she replied dryly, she turned to
Natasha and held out her hand, Hi, Im Darcy Lewis, Thors girlfriends intern.
And best friend, Pepper and Tony added simultaneously before looking suspiciously at each other.
And best friend, Darcy echoed, rolling her eyes again and shaking her head at them. She pulled the
chocolate chip pancakes off the griddle and buttered them, using a different fork than before to take a
bite from it herself, meeting Natashas eyes as she chewed, before placing the second sign into the pile
of pancakes for Natasha, Clint refused to eat anything he didnt make himself until I started to prove to
him that I didnt poison it, she explained, I figured you were probably just as justifiably paranoid, she
blinked, No offence. You dont have to eat them if you dont want she was cut off by Clint reaching
out and pulling the plate from Darcys side of the counter to the place next to him.
Just sit and eat Tasha, his stated, Darcys too nice to ever poison the food of someone shes just
met.
Natasha looked between Clint and Darcy a few times before silently moving to take her seat. A slow bite
later she looked up at Darcy in surprise, Theres chocolate in this, she stated incredulously.
Darcy nodded, averting her eyes to serve Steve some more pancakes, You seem like a chocolate
person, she answered the unasked question of why without thinking, and a quick glance at Natasha
showed the other womans confusion, If youd like something else I canjust she pointed to the
griddle behind her.
No, this is fine, Natasha shook her head, eyeing Darcy subtly as she continued to eat.
Turning to avoid looking at the intense stare from the other woman Darcy poured out another set of
pancakes, You still a banana guy there Uncle Phil?
Twisting to see Coulsons answer she watched with some amusement as everyones heads slowly turned
to look at Coulson who rolled his eyes, How many times have I told you not to call me Uncle Phil Miss
Lewis? he asked settling into the last remaining chair with a resigned air.
Probably about as many times as Ive asked you not to call me Miss Lewis, Darcy replied, already
adding the banana slices to his pancakes, Besides as far as S.H.I.E.L.Ds computers are concerned you
are my uncle.
Coulson smothered his smirk and shook his head, I thought I asked you to change that back? he
sounded as though he already knew she probably never would.
One, it was a lot easier to hack S.H.I.E.L.D to tell them you are my uncle, than it is to tell them youre
not; B, too many people actually think were related for the change to go unnoticed, thirdly, if I change it
back, whos going to get to come see you when youre in the infirmary next time? And we both know
there will probably be an next time, and, if I did change it back, my argument to call you Uncle Phil
would become invalid, she turned from the pancakes to smirk at him, And Im not in the habit of
invalidating myself.




Certified poison free by Darcy lewis (bite gone)


cause that wasnt suspicious.

Its official
What is official?
You, are my new personal assistant
okay? And if I say no?
You wont
Why
Because Im tony stark
Thats probably why I would say nojust sayn